Soldotna council talks time change

The Soldotna City Council discussed changing its meeting time a half hour earlier to 6 p.m. during its meeting Wednesday.

Vice Mayor Brenda Hartman said that the lack of public attendance at the meetings could be due to its 6:30 p.m. start time. Residents may already be settled in at home and not want to come back out to attend, she said.

“We’re not getting a lot of public attendance,” Hartman said. “So if the time was set to accommodate the public being able to get home from work have dinner and then come here, we’re not seeing it.”

Hartman said the public can also listen to the meetings on the radio and the public can listen to it during their dinner instead of coming to City Hall.

It also makes it a longer day for city employees who have to attend at the later time. It would be nicer for them if they could get home sooner, Hartman said.

“I know that I appreciate — after working all day as well — that I would like my day to end a little bit sooner,” Hartman said.

Council member Regina Daniels, who was absent during Wednesday’s meeting, sent a note saying she supported the change.

Council member Pete Sprague said that he would feel more comfortable if the time change was made as a resolution in the next meeting so that the public would have a chance to comment.

“I would certainly support it,” said Sprague, adding that during his first time serving on the council the meeting time was at 7:30 p.m.

Council members Nancy Eoff and John Czarnezki also voiced their support for the change but would also like the public to comment. Hartman said the meeting time change would be on the next meeting agenda as a resolution and would be open for public comment before the council votes.

Peter Mlynarik, Soldotna Police Department Chief, held a badge-pinning for officer Rory Espy, making him a sergeant, during the meeting.

The council also approved the liquor license renewal for the 2 Go Mart on the Kenai Spur Highway.

■ Approved an ordinance transferring appropriations in the amount of $180,000 from the Miscellaneous Capital Projects Fund to the Parks and Recreation Capital Projects Fund for pedestrian accommodations at Soldotna Creek Park

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Yeah, it's not hard enough trying to attend city government meetings, lets make it harder. Many people work past 5 pm and it's a hardship for them to have to get to a 6 pm meeting without dinner.

At least with 7 pm like the Borough Assembly used to be, a citizen could say hi to their family and gobble dinner before a city government meeting. Now, with this fad to start earlier, citizens have to choose between dinner with their family and a city government meeting. I'm sure lots more people will be coming to Borough and city council meetings (not).

You attend a soldotna city council meeting ,
where a person is talking about , conspiracy, deceit, hiding evidence and lie-ing by the soldotna police and all you come away with for an article is about time change ?

I don't see the time change by the council as a big deal ,,
I do see complacency by the newspaper to hide the corruption in our law enforcement community as a problem !

I already know that nobody at the clarion has the cojones needed to take on this issue . I do and I am !